Thursday, January 25, 2007

NewsLA Times reporter Michael Hiltzik follows up his own earlier stories by covering the WADA conference in Lausanne. They progressed a proposal to move away from "strict liability" on stimulants, but not steroids. Mr. Pound is caught engaging in, ahh, hyperbole, yeah, that's the word, when he claims that the value of sports drugs exceeds that of "marijuana, cocaine and heroin combined," or so someone told him.VeloNews has an exclusive with journalist Maarten Michielssens who broke the Patrick Lefevere story:

VN: Why do you think all these people are choosing to talk now?

MM: Well, Ivan Basso said Patrick Lefévère was a hypocrite. Floyd Landis used the same words because Patrick Lefévère said that Floyd Landis was a criminal and should be kicked out forever. So Patrick Lefévère has made some enemies and even the people who are very close to him are not supporting him anymore when he says there are no drugs in our team and everyone else is dirty. Even his own people thought he should watch himself instead of kicking at others all the time. That's why some people were willing to talk. Even this guy from Mapei, the doctor, he called me himself.

CNN.Com posts a story citing Pereiro's clearance from doping allegations and his newly strengthened conviction that he should be declared the Tour de France champion should the Landis appeals fail:

"The whole thing was pathetic," Pereiro told the Spanish television station Antena 3. "I want them to apologise for the mistake and try to rectify the damage they have done."It makes me even more determined to be declared the winner of the Tour if it is taken away from (Floyd) Landis."

VeloNews posts that Quickstep riders are in disbelief about the recent allegations of a multi level doping program within the team, and are finding it difficult to be motivated. This, plus OP and the Landis affair, are cited as extremely damaging to the sport.

Eurosport reports that the AFLD has dropped its case against Pereiro. SI.Com and many other news outlet are reporting the same news.

Cyclingnews posts that WADA chief Dick Pound has asked the AFLD to delay its' proceedings against Landis. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the piece is that it reports that Landis' American hearing has been "reportedly" scheduled for March:

WADA president Dick Pound asked the French anti-doping agency AFLD "to suspend its investigation into Floyd Landis until the end of the American procedure," according to L'Equipe. Pound said he submitted his request to the agency in December.

Reportedly, Landis' first hearing before American authorities is scheduled in March--he faces a suspension of up to two years if found guilty. Any appeals would ultimately end up before the American Arbitration Association.

The San Diego Union Tribune rerpints the Dick Pound/WADA story mentioning the apparent inequities in the levels of punishment by different sports entities.

The New York Times writes that the NFL is beefing up not only its penalties for postitive PED results, but will also toughen its' testing methods by making greater use of the same carbon isotope tests performed on the Landis sample six months ago at the Tour de France.

PE.com has a nice write up about the Landis Power camp being held this week in Temecula, CA, and promises a further interview with Landis. See related stories below.BlogsRant can't believe the spin that WADA/Pound is attempting to put on how it feels about the Landis case.

Tim@Road Magazine confirms that Neil@Road is at the Landis Power Camp, even though we have yet to hear from him. It's been a tough week in Temecula!

MiscOn UTube this AM, during a break at work, I found this Cyclops video. It will give some idea of what Floyd's Power Camp is all about.

That's probably a fair mistake for a journalist who doesn't cover cycling to make. After all, the guy who won the tour the last seven times only had one testicle, so the writer probably assumed that it was a standard in the sport.

Two details on the Pereiro decision not included in the EuroSport or SI stories:

(1) Bordry made a pointed reference to the fact that Pereiro's "doctor's note," which was sent to the AFLD on Jan. 19, was dated Jan. 18. He declared that he agency would continue being vigilant about medical justifications for TUEs.

(2) Pat McQuaid, for his part, fired off a zinger at the AFLD: "If the AFLD thinks there are too many TUEs, they should work with us on the subject. But it's not by spreading stories in the press that we're going to move forward."

On another European site, I found a further detail regarding the date of Pereiro's doctor's note. What Bordry was doing, apparently, was criticizing the UCI. His point was: "If Pereiro's medical justification was only dated Jan. 18, what evidence was the UCI using when it granted him his TUE back in June?"

I just find it hilarious. Especially given the fact this isn't the first time I've seen that particular line in the past week.

By the way I think the current WADA charman Dick Pound should be checked for performance enhancing drugs. You know the man dopes! He's got to have the highest T/E ratio of all. Especially when considering the way he Dominates the field with his aggressive moves. There can't be a virgin over 12 left in Canada. Hey, but you didn't here it from me.

A late Agence France Press story about our two favorite drug cleaner-uppers:

Pat McQuaid, Irish president of the UCI, announced Thursday that a new anti-doping plan would be in place by the beginning of ProTour 2007. The president of the UCI, who met with Dick Pound, president of the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) Wednesday. declared to AFP that this would be "a global system in the battle against doping, stronger and more radical." "There are still a number of details to straighten out. We're working now on what costs to assume and how to share them," McQuaid added, interviewed at the World Cyclo-cross Championships in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium.

Total Poindexter Website Prize: to the fabulous geniuses over at trustbutverify, who not only are perhaps the most impassioned defenders of Floyd Landis' virtue beyond only the boy himself, but actually seem to understand the detailed scientific arguments they put out that the rest of us (well, me) are too stupid to even coherently summarize. Floyd, you better be innocent, or you owe these folks a *major* freakin' apology! (racejunkie)

"Who does awards for blogs? I sense a nomination is in order." (Carlton Reid, of BikeBiz)

"Hands-down champion of full-and I mean full-coverage of this hearing is the blog Trust But Verify. You'll have to have excellent background knowledge of the issues, and wade through page after page of detail to get to anything interesting, but it's raw and unfiltered and all there. The guy who runs the site, a cycling fan from Northern California, began casually providing a clearinghouse for Landis case news nearly 10 months ago, and now he has the haunted look of a man whose life has been hijacked and wants it back. (Loren Mooney, co-author of Positively False, at Bicycling)

"if you want the latest news on the Floyd Landis case, Trust but Verify is the go-to site. The author is biased in favor of Floyd (so am I) but the reporting is neutral and comprehensive." (12string musings)

About Me

About Us (Admissions)

TBV is personally biased towards Floyd. I think it'll be a better world if he proves his innocence, and some inquisitors meet their own just ends. Interspersed between daily link roundups are pieces of commentary slanted towards understanding what will prove innocence in the discipline proceeding, and what will rehabilitate his reputation in the public eye. Make of them what you will. Agreement with me is not required, though I am right.